Ignition distributor



July 17, 1934. WAGENLANDER 1,966,838

IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR Filed June 29, 1933' V. @gwa/ r-Z-Zid W 92mm 7 Wm Patented July 17,

IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR George Wagenlander, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to McKee Glass Company, Jeannette, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 29, 1933, Serial No. 678,24 6

3 Claims. 200-24) My invention relates to ignition distributors for automobiles and the like, and more particularly to the distributor casing.

One object of my invention is to provide means 5 for visually determining the condition of the circuits leading to the various spark plugs of internal combustion engines, in order to ascertain whether the spark plugs are functioning to ex: plode the charges within the cylinders.

Another object of my invention, specifically stated, is to provide a glass cover or casing for a distributor, provided with prismsfor rendering clearly visible the electrical flash produced within the distributor upon the completion of each circuit to the various spark plugs.

It will be understood that with certain types of distributors, the transparent prisms may be incorporated in the top of the casing, and that in other types of distributors, the prisms will be placed in the side walls of the distributor casing.

By way of example, I herein show and describe a distributor of one well-known type, except that it is provided with a transparent cover upon which prisms are formed, as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of the distributor; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, and Fig. 3 is an elevational sectional view of the cover of Fig. 2.

The distributor casing 4 may be of various wellknown forms, and is here shown as provided in its sides with stationary terminals 5, each of which has the usual connectionwith a spark plug 6.

, A rotor 7 carries a contact member 8 and a brush 9, the contact member 8 being carried past the terminal members 5 to complete circuits therethrough in the usual manner. Upon the closing of the circuits at 5, a slight arcing occurs if the ignition circuit is otherwise complete through a particular spark plug with which a given member 5 is in circuit, an important feature of the invention being concerned withenabling an observer to determine from the dash whether the circuits thus ,establishedor intended to be pro- 5 duced are in fact completed.

Instead of the usual opaque cover for the casthese prisms being located immediately above each of the terminals 5.

These prisms serve not only to render the sparks more clearly visible, but are so shaped as to bend or retract the rays of light, as indicated by the dotted lines 14, thereby enabling an observer to stand oii to one side and see the flashes, without the necessity of bending over until his eyes are directly above the distributor.

Various ignition troubles will be readily apparent by observing the condition of the flashes at the terminals during operation of the engine, while ignition failure may be readily traced to points either at or ahead of the distributor when flashes at the terminals are lacking.

I claim as my invention:-

1. The combination with a distributor having terminals and a. movable contact member for completing circuits through the terminals, of a casing for the terminals, an exposed wall of the casing being transparent over substantially its whole area, and being provided with prisms at points adjacent to said terminals.

-2. The combination with a distributor having terminals and a movable contact member for completing circuits through the terminals, of a casing for the terminals, the top of the casing being transparent over substantially its whole area, and being provided with prisms at points above said terminals, the prisms being of triangular form in vertical cross section.

3. The combination with a distributor having terminals and a movable contact member for completing circuits through the terminals, of a casing for the terminals, the top of the casing being transparent over substantially its whole area, and being provided with prisms at points above said terminals, the prisms being of tapers ing thickness from one edge to the opposite edge thereof.

ing 4, Iprovide a transparent coveriO of glass or other suitable material. The cover 10 carries the central terminal 11, with which the brush 5o 9 has contact, and is detachably held upon the casino 4 by clips 12.

While the flashes produced between the terminals 5 and the contact member 8 would be visible to some extent throlmh a plain glass cover,

I prefer toform-prisms 18 on said cover, one of GEORGE WAG ENLAN'DER. 

